In the midst of the conversation, Diara paused for a moment. She took a small sip of tea, covering her mouth with her hand, and a brief silence lingered within the tent.
"Gravel, could you… perhaps postpone your travel plans?" Diara asked cautiously, her eyes fixed on Gravel.
"Hm? Well, if there's a special reason, I could delay them. But may I ask why you're bringing this up?"
"I'd like to hire both of you. Please help ensure this statue reaches Ves-Dinas safely."
The moment Diara spoke, Gravel was in the act of bringing the teacup to his lips. In that fleeting instant, he weighed two possibilities on the scales of his mind, his thoughts racing.
'If I stick to the plan of gathering information until the carriage is repaired and head to the labyrinth city, or if I change the itinerary to escort the statue… could I gain better quality information by traveling with this mage, Diara? The whole reason I was heading to the labyrinth city of Aquiln was to pick up any clues about the floating island in the sky from the adventurers gathering there from across the continent. Ves-Dinas, where we need to take the statue, seems to be the central city of a ducal family, so it could easily rival Aquiln in terms of the quantity and variety of information.'
"Alright! If we can be of help, we'll join you."
After swallowing a sip of tea and setting the cup down on the table, Gravel responded.
"Thank you. The escort team suffered heavy losses in the previous attack, and we're short on personnel for protection. With the skills of you, Gravel, and Iris, I… I feel truly reassured."
"Is it because of the possibility that the man named Gulick might attack again?"
"Yes, that's certainly a possibility. Also, we need to pass through Froikton to head east, and that area is close to the territory of the House Kavil. They're fiercely hostile toward Archduke Vanas, so it's highly likely that this Gulick was hired by the House Kavil. That's why your help is so desperately needed."
"But what kind of special power does this statue have? I can tell it's not an ordinary statue…"
As Gravel spoke, the gazes of all three turned toward the statue occupying one side of the tent.
"It has the power of detoxification. Touching the statue can neutralize any poison. It was said to have been discovered in the throne room of an underground kingdom beneath Aquiln, so it was likely used to prevent assassination by poison."
"That's an artifact anyone would covet. I can see why the Kavil (Kavil) nobles are after it."
"Yes. That's why I believe there may be other nobles or factions targeting it besides the House Kavil."
Diara slowly shifted her gaze from the statue back to the teacup on the table.
"Shall we call it a day here? It's been an eventful day, and you must be tired."
Gravel stood from his seat as he spoke to Diara. Though part of him wanted to stay up all night continuing the conversation, he rose early, considering Diara's injuries and the need to plan for the future.
"Then, we'll continue tomorrow…"
"Yes, we'll come back tomorrow. Goodnight."
Gravel stepped out of the tent first, and Iris, after exchanging farewells with Diara, followed him.
*****
The camp didn't stir with the sounds of people until some time after dawn. The soldiers knew there would be no movement until the carriage was repaired, and Diara had permitted them to start the day leisurely to recover from the previous day's fatigue.
Gravel also woke up late and spent time chatting with the soldiers by the central campfire. Later, when a soldier returned with a few rabbits caught in traps set the previous night, they enjoyed a warm rabbit stew for breakfast. Afterward, Gravel trained in swordsmanship with Iris.
Diara, too, emerged from her tent late in the morning. She ordered the soldiers to guard the statue inside and set off for Froikton.
After the soldiers gathered for lunch and some time passed, Diara returned to the camp. Later, Gravel and Diara sat across from each other in the tent, just as they had the previous day.
"I hope you like it."
Diara placed a small pouch on the table and gently pushed it toward Gravel. From the gap in the pouch, a sweet yet slightly tickling scent of flowers mixed with the aroma of tree bark wafted out. When Gravel opened it slightly, he saw dried purple petals inside.
"It's called Lavendula honeyflower. I noticed you enjoy fragrant teas, so I picked this up on my way back from Froikton."
"Today, I'll have the added pleasure of tasting a new tea."
Soon, the table was graced with cups filled with the fragrant aroma of Lavendula honeyflower tea.
"Today, I'd like to ask about magic. More specifically, I'm curious about the process of learning it. It seems different from the methods I know."
All the magic Gravel had mastered came from Grand World Online. In the game's lore, there were various ways to acquire magic, but he was curious about how magic was learned in this otherworld.
Perhaps due to the influence of his Arcanist class from Grand World Online or the background knowledge he'd read about its magic, the principles and methods of casting magic were ingrained in his mind as if etched there. However, the process of how he had acquired those spells was not something he could recall.
In Grand World Online, learning magic involved reading a spellbook. The time required varied by spell type, but most magic was learned through books or documents. In rare cases, it could be taught by an NPC during a quest, acquired through special events, or passed between players. So, Gravel's question to Diara was, in a way, an attempt to fill the gaps in his memory or knowledge about magic acquisition.
"Huh? Aren't you already proficient in magic, Gravel? I heard you can cast Dil(2nd-level) detoxification and healing spells."
"Yes, I am one who walks the Way of Mana, as people here call it. But the types and systems of magic where I learned are vastly different. What do you mean by Dil(2nd-level)?"
"I must have neglected my studies after leaving the Temple of the Hidden Moon. I thought the classification of magic was a universal system among magic users. Now that I think about it, in the east, like Kirvia, or the desert kingdoms in the south, they use the same ten-tier classification, but the terminology differs."
Diara seemed slightly surprised by Gravel's question but took a sip of tea, composed herself, and continued.
"Let me first address the classification of magic. Based on power, magic is divided into Mon (1), Dil (2), Tro (3), Teta (4), Pentra (5), Hexol (6), Heptel (7), Octo (8), Nonal (9), and Decan (10)."
'Is it like a 1-to-10 level classification? Is there nothing beyond the 10th tier, or… Gravel listened to Diara, mentally comparing it to Grand World Online's system.'
"And based on their nature, they are categorized into schools: Abjuration, Conjuration, Enchantment, Illusion, Divination, Evocation, Necromancy, Transmutation, and the divine attributes used by the gods, known as the Special School."
"(The school classifications match Grand World's settings, even the existence of divine attributes…) Some parts align with what I know. Only the names for power levels are different."
"Perhaps it's because, despite different schools or nations, we all wield the common power of mana."
After a brief pause, Diara continued.
"Now, regarding your question about learning magic. In most cases, the process begins with learning the Main Crest and Support Crests."
Diara extended her hand toward the air above the table, conjuring a small magic circle.
"The central glyph in this magic circle is the Main Crest, and the glyphs connected around it are the Support Crests."
Gravel leaned forward to closely examine the magic circle Diara had created.
"Though the shapes of the glyphs differ, the combination of a Main Crest and the Support Crests that enhance it determines the magic's effect, which is similar."
"Learning magic starts with controlling the mana emitted from your body to manifest a magic circle like this. But before that, the most fundamental step is memorizing the glyphs of the magic you wish to use. You must remember every detail so perfectly that you can visualize them with your eyes closed and manifest them into reality. That's when you're ready to cast magic."
In Grand World Online, being a game, there was no process of memorizing and manifesting glyphs as Diara described. The combination and application of Main Crests and hundreds of Support Crests were essential skills for a magic user. As Gravel listened to Diara, he recalled the glyphs stored and organized in his mind, a smile spreading across his face.
An unexpected gain. If the method of using magic is the same, then I can learn the magic of this world, too.
Whether it was the joy of gaining knowledge or the satisfaction of the desire to grow stronger, an indescribable emotion made Gravel smile with delight.
"Could you take a look and see if any of the glyphs I know are similar or have the same effects?"
Gravel traced a glyph resembling a drawing on the table with his fingertip, and the small glyph began to glow.
"I've never seen this glyph before. What kind of ability does it have?"
Diara half-rose from her chair, leaning toward the table to examine the glyph more closely.
"It's a glyph that gathers mana. It can be used in combination with any magic. Do you know of a glyph with similar abilities?"
"No, I don't know any. When you say it gathers mana, do you mean it collects mana independently of the mana the caster infuses into the magic circle, and then channels it into the Main Crest?"
Diara widened her eyes, leaning closer to the glyph on the table as she questioned Gravel.
"(Hmm, I showed a glyph essential for time-delayed and remote casting…) Yes. When this glyph is used, it draws in surrounding mana to activate the Main Crest. However, the caster must still infuse the glyph with the mana needed to initiate it."
"Could you teach me this glyph? Please, Gravel!"
"Sure, teaching it is no problem, but it requires more mana to manifest and activate than you might expect. Also, it takes a long time to get used to the speed at which it gathers mana."
"Yes, that's fine! As a Mage, is there anything more joyful than learning a new glyph?"
Diara's slightly raised voice expressed the joy of a mage eager to acquire new knowledge.